Device for the suspension of tobacco leaves and analogous purposes



1960 F. T. ED'RIDGE 2,948,408

DEVICE FOR THE SUSPENSION OF TOBACCO LEAVES AND ANALAGOUS PURPOSES FiledJuly 15, 1959 INVENTOR Ream/(x ZipmfflMf:

BY 1 m a M ATTO R N EY Un tcd ts a e Frederick Tilden Edridge, RR. 1083,Marandellas, Southern Rhodesia Filed July 15, 1959, Ser. No. 827,240 11Claims. 01. 211-124) This invention relates to the suspension of tobaccoleaves or other articles along a linein the general arrangement in whichtobacco leaves or hands of tobacco leaves are suspended along sticks fortreatment'in curing barns. It provides a simple and effective device forsuch purposes which, in its application for instance to the sus pensionof tobacco leaves, enables a singleoperative to perform the reaping ofthe leaves and in substantially the same motion, without repeatedhandling, their fixing to the device with the necessary security toprevent the leaves from falling away from the device during the handlingthereof, and also during the curing treatment when the leaf buttsundergo shrinkage and tend to fall out of the strings which havehitherto been used as a means of fixing the leaf butts to the stick. Thedevice dispenses with the use and expense of strings and is notdependent for its security of grip upon the leaves or the like upontension in the string, applied for example under the weight of theleaves or the like in their hanging positions. Furthermore, it providesfor the attachmentof the leaves or the like with the required securitymuch more expeditiously than is possible when strings are used: it alsominimises or substantially eliminates the breakage of leaf butts, acommon occurrence when these are tied over-the-stickjf and'one leadingto loss of economy. ,A further feature of the device according to thisinvention is its suitability for manufacture in such a way and from suchmaterials as to be and remain hygienic in contrast with the ordinarywooden sticks hitherto used in tobacco drying and which rapidly tend tobecome unhygienic and give rise to or spread barn rot or other disease.i

. According to this invention a device for the purpose indicated orbroadly for the suspension of articles along .a line comprises at leastone elongated member having attached thereto a series of shorterelements whichare resiliently separable from one another. For examplethe device may comprise a pair of metal or equivalent rod or likemembers of convenient length in spaced parallel arrangement connected attheir corresponding ends and a series-of shorter, resilientlycompressible elements or compression springs slidably mounted across thespace between said members so as to be freely moveable as from agathered or compacted disposition at one end of the device in seriessingly towards its opposite end;

More particularly the said elements or compression springs may bespring-wire elements of generally waved or zig-zag form looped looselyat their opposite ends about the respective parallel rod or likemembers, the limbs of the elements which cross the space between thesaid members being so arranged or distorted if necessary as to obviateany entanglement or inter-locking of adjacent elements when sucharegathered or compacted as v metrical arrangement at the tails of thatform'and orien- 5 If desired one or more spacer elements, not inthemselves necessarily springs, may beprovided which is or are 'slidablefreely along the device and serving to hold the rod or like membersagainst flexure from their parallel or other spaced arrangement whenunder load. Such spacers may be arnangedtoalternate with the springs orwire elements if desired, e.g. where the device is suflicientlyelongated'as,for instance, when loaded, to be subject to any suchdegree'of bending or distortion between its ends such as might interferewith the free operation of the springs or wire elements.

, Means may be provided'at a region or regions about the middle of orelsewhere in the length of the device for 'enabling'or facilitating itssuspension from such regions, so as to'take up a generally horizontalhanging position when carrying its'load.

Other features and advantages of this invention appear in the followingdescription of the suspension device as applicable to the particularproblems of ?tying" tobacco leaves securelylfor curing, and economisingin time, in

labour and in the handling of the leaves from the actual reaping thereofonwards.

Inthe accompanying drawing which shows a presently preferred embodimentofthis invention, by way of example: 7 Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammaticperspective view of the device showing also how it may be charged withtobacco leaves; and .Figure 2 .is a fragmentary perspective view showingmore precisely the shape and arrangement of the resiliently compressibleslidable elements or springs; Figure 3 is a perspective view of theN-form of compression element; and v Figure 4 is a perspective view ofthe W-form (or M- form) of the compression element.

The device comprises a single length of stout-gauge steel wire (e.g. .10gauge) bent at the middle X into elongated hairpin form some two feetlong and closed at the opposite end Y by brazing neatly together orotherwise connecting inturned extremities (after the required number ofresilient elements or springs, to be described, have been threaded intoposition).

There are thus provided the two straight rod members 1 and 2 in parallelarrangement with a space about one inch wide between them, which issuitable for the admission of say three or four butts, indicated byreference Z of a convenient hand of freshly plucked tobacco as shown inFigure 1. a

Threaded on the members 1 and 2 are a desired number, e.g. sixteen, ofthe elements or springs of which only a" few are shown, as indicated byreferences 3, 4 and .5. The general form and construction of theseelements appears in Figure 1 and they are more exactly represented inFigure 2.. I

Each element or spring as 3 in Figures 1 and 2 consists of a length oflight gauge piano wire (about tensile; .032) rather more than six incheslong, formed .to a shape of the kind (NV) with its end loops 13 and 14dimensioned and set to fit loosely about the respective members 2 and 1,while the-intervening length pursues from loop13a zig-zag coursediagonally across the space SS under and over membersl, back over andunder member 2, under and over. mandrel 1 for the second time and thendiagonally across and under member 2 to. finish in the reversed handedloop 14. I

The loops of the springs lying substantially square with the membersland 2, and those end parts of adjacent springs. which may contact withone another when a member of the springs are compacted directly togethermaking point contact in reversed diagonally arranged ends, anyentanglement of the springs is avoided or the risk of such entanglementvery substantially eliminated, thus. facilitating the use .of the deviceas is hereinafter explained.

vThe item 15 inFigure 1 simply indicates a spacer or abutment of steelplate or the like, of which one or.more may be included, forinstanceeither a single spacer-at the centre of the device with half ofthe springs located on each of it, or several spacers or .abutmentssuitably interspersed among or alternated with the springs.

For-the purpose of this description the device may be termed a reapingand tying frame, with modified forms thereof illustrated in Figures 3and 4. 'Such, a frame, complete with its spring elements, is taken tothe lands, the frame is then held in, say, the left hand with one of thespringsgas, 3 in Figure 1, brought against the end X and the otherspringspushed awaytowards the other end Y. With the right hand, .a leafor hand of leaves .is, picked and its butt orbutts inserted directlywithin the clear portion of the frame against the first spring, to beheld .there while the next spring, e.g. spring 4, is pulled along andengaged with the butt or butts Z. The operators lefthand thenmomentarily takes the Whole weight of the frame withthe first leaf or'hand of leaves gripped with a finger against the spring 3. When thesecond spring 4 has been brought into position against the leaf .butt orbutts and gripped with the finger of the left hand, the .operatorstrighthand may be removed for the purpose of picking further leaves, while theleft hand finger continues .to hold the first applied leaf or leaf handbetween the two springs3 and 4.under suitable compression, the saidfinger also keeping a space clear between spring 4 and the next spring,e.g. spring 5, which is to be brought into use after a second leaf orleaf hand has been inserted. This process of picking, inserting leafbutts in the frame and bringing a spring into operation is repeateduntil the frame is fully charged and the leaves held with sufiicientgrip to ensure their not falling away.

During the use of the device in the foregoing manner the frame may beheld in any convenient position against the body, e.g. with its one end,say the end X, rested against the operators haunch, and when thisoperation of reaping combined with tying has been completed, that iswhen the device is fully loaded with the leaves or hands of leaves, itmay then be passed away for process ing. During the processing ortreatment, as is known, the butts or stems of the leaves will shrink toa very great extent but in the present invention the springs will followup such shrinkage and maintain their grip upon the leaves, preventingthem from falling from the device throughout the curing treatment.

The resilient grip exerted by the springs upon the leaf butts is of akind which does not obstruct air circulation about these parts forrelatively rapid drying and curing of them, and a cause of barn rotattributable to certain measures hitherto of tying tobacco to sticks iseliminated.

Should leaf butts'or equivalent parts of other articles to be suspendedvary widely in size, adjustment is readily made by varying the number ofsprings provided within a given length of the device. Also if it bedesired to maintain any exact number of leaves between each spring, oreach spring and any adjacent spacer, one of the connections between therod or like members of the device may be formed in the nature of aclasp, the position of which may be adjustable along the length of thedevice.

The length, breadth and capacity of the frame may be determined inaccordance with the weight of leaf intended to be carried thereon,making due allowances for any spacers or stationary abutments which itmay be desirable to provide. The degree to which each spring may becompressible may be devised in accordance with the number of leaf. buttsit may be required to grip between or with the aid of the springs, andthe strength of the 4 springs may be varied in accordance with theweight expected to be supported between each pair of springs.

As already mentioned, spacers or abutments may be included in thedevice, e.g. alternated with springs for adding rigidity to the framebesides cheapening manufacture thereof by reducing the gauge of the rodswhich may in fact be of the nature of stout fixing wires. The frame maybe made of any material which is sufficiently strong and cheap, besidesbeing smooth enough for ensuring uninterrupted easy manipulation ofsprings and also being sufficiently resistant to corrosion. The springsthemselves may also be made of any suitable material of adequateresiliency and which 'is resistant to corrosion and otherwise suitable.An essential requirement is that the springs shall be of sutficientstrength and resiliency, e.g. firmly to hold the leaves duringprocessing. As already noted also the springs should be of such form asto prevent interference .by anyone of the springs of free movement ofanother.

I claim:

1. A device for suspension of articles comprising a pair of parallel,laterally spaced apart, elongated members, means to maintain the lateralspacing of said members throughout their length, a plurality ofcompression elements engaged about and freely slidable along bothelongated. members, said elements being resiliently separablefrom oneanother and each comprising a strip of resilient material in zig-zagform having at least three legs, the free ends thereof and theintervening bends being disposed loosely about the respective elongatedmembers.

2. A device for the suspension of articles along a line, comprising apair of extended members co-extensively arranged and connected with aspace between them through which space ends of said articles may beinserted, and a plurality of shorten'resiliently compressible elementsslidably mounted on said members, disposed across said space betweenthem and freely moveable along them in series singly in eitherdirection.

3. A device for the suspension of articles along a line, comprising apair of relatively rigid rod-like meme bers of convenient length inspaced parallel arrangement connected at their corresponding ends and aseries of shorter, resiliently compressible elements or compressionsprings slidably mounted across the space between said members so as tobe freely moveable from a compacted disposition at one end of the devicein series singly towards its oppositeend.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said resiliently compressibleelements are spring-wire elements of generally zig-zag form loopedloosely at their opposite ends about the respective extended members,the limbs of the elements which cross the space between said membersbeing disposed about the said members to avoid any entanglement orinterlocking of adjacent elements when such are gathered or compacted.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said elements or compressionsprings are spring-wire elements of generally zig-zag form looped attheir opposite ends about the respective parallel rods or like members,the limbs of the elements which cross the space between said membersbeing disposed relative thereto as to obviate any entanglement orinterlocking of adjacent elements when such are gathered or compacted asaforesaid.

'6. A device according to claim 4 wherein said springwire elements areof N-form, with the loops for running on the extended members occurringin symmetrical arrangement at the tails of such form and orientatedsubstantially at right angles to the general plane of the element toobtain free running.

7. A device according to claim 5 wherein the springs or elements are. ofN-form, with the loops for running on. the rod or like members occurringin symmetrical arrangement at the tails of that form and orientated 5substantially at right angles to the general plane of the element toobtain free running.

8. A device according to claim 4, wherein the re-,

siliently compressible elements areof N-form.

9. A device according to claim 4, wherein the re- 5 abutments betweencertain of said compression elements 10 2,485,388

limiting longitudinal movement of said compression elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS126,499 Streeter- May 7, 1872 439,498 Fitzgerald Oct. 28, 1890 2,279,643Silver Apr. 14, 1942 2,456,622 Clark Dec. 21, 1948 Kuhn Oct. 18, 1949

